Frequently Asked Questions

Unite For Sight Program Overview

Volunteer Application, Participation, Expenses, and Requirements

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Unite For Sight Program Overview

What does Unite For Sight do?

Unite For Sight targets the more than 36 million people with undiagnosed and untreated cases of preventable blindness. The leading causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, refractive error (a need for eyeglasses), nutritional childhood blindness due to vitamin A deficiency, and trachoma and river blindness (infections of the eye found in the world's poorest communities). Internationally, where most blindness occurs, the gap in health services is clear.

The communities where we work did not previously have access to eye care due to many barriers. In Tamale, Ghana, for example, our partner ophthalmologist, Dr. Wanye, is the only eye doctor for 2 million people in the entire region. Prior to our partnership, Dr. Wanye often went months without providing a single cataract surgery because the community members could not afford the $35 cost of surgery. Unite For Sight volunteers now work with him to assist with screening outreach programs, and Unite For Sight funds the cataract surgeries for the patients so that no one will remain blind due to lack of funds.

Preventing and treating blindness has been found by the World Health Organization to be one of the most cost effective health care strategies. Restoring a person's sight can enable her/him to hold a job and contribute to feeding and housing a family. It can enable a person to fully participate in society and enjoy seeing the world around them. Kulo, a Unite For Sight patient at the Buduburam Refugee Camp, suffered a severe injury from a cutting stick as he worked to prepare land for rice farming. He expressed his joy after receiving services: "Before ... I could not see. But now . . .I can see you. I can see it, the paper in your hand. I can see the house . . . I am so happy. Without this program . . . I could not afford this . . . it's a good thing for me!"

Where does Unite For Sight offer volunteer programs?

Unite For Sight offers volunteer programs in India and Ghana.

Is the Unite For Sight program a hands-on clinical experience?

Yes, the program is a fully hands-on clinical experience. All volunteers participate in clinical service while assisting eye doctors in rural villages, refugee camps, and slums. Volunteers are immersed in international health and development programs while providing eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. While each program location varies slightly, the general program model remains identical. Volunteers assist the eye clinic's staff in all aspects of the eye care programs. They take patient history, test visual acuity, assist the eye doctors with the examination, distribute medication and eyeglasses prescribed by the eye doctors, provide eye health education in the villages and schools, and help with the coordination of patient surgeries. Volunteers also have an opportunity to observe the surgeries provided at the eye clinic. The previously blind patients leave clinic after surgery with restored sight.

A recent Unite For Sight medical student volunteer in Ghana wrote: "I can honestly say that everything I learned in 3 years of medical school paled in comparison to the 3 week experience I had in Accra (Ghana) in October 2007 as part of Unite For Sight. The program provides volunteers with a unique and hands-on involvement - being able to help out to the level of your training and comfort. My experience taught me that Ghanaian people are the friendliest people I have interacted with anywhere in the world, that ordinary people involved with Unite For Sight are making extraordinary differences, and that sitting in a classroom receiving a world-class education cannot match real life experiences while volunteering."--Varun Verma, UMDNJ Medical Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana

An MPH student volunteer in India wrote: "The time I spent in Chennai, India as a Unite for Sight Volunteer was a magical experience. Our time with the Uma Eye Clinic gave us great insight to the vulnerable populations of Chennai and the realization that millions of others around India share the same situation. Working with school children and the elderly in isolated towns was like experiencing all my public health courses first hand. Instead of seeing a power point show of their lives, I was right there in their homes, eating traditional Southern Indian meals next to locals. I look back upon my short time in India and greatly want to return and have a career with vision care that will allow me to work with similar populations of people. ." --- David Murakami, MPH, Boston University School of Public Health, Unite for Sight Volunteer, Chennai, India

While non-eye care professionals assist local Ghanaian and Indian ophthalmic staff, volunteer optometrists and ophthalmologists apply their skills and training to provide eye care to the patients alongside the local eye doctors. Ophthalmologists also provide surgical care to the patients screened by Unite For Sight's programs.

What do Unite For Sight volunteers do?

Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides support and resources to eye clinics in developing countries so that the local clinics can provide eye care to those living in poverty. The work of Unite For Sight volunteers is significant, and the number of poor patients treated by Unite For Sight's partner eye clinics would not be possible without each volunteer's dedication and enthusiasm.

Volunteers range from students, nurses, opticians, and public health professionals to optometrists and ophthalmologists. Students, nurses, public health professionals, educators, and others serve as interns at eye clinics. The eye clinic's eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly participate on community-based screening programs. The clinic's eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Unite For Sight funds the surgeries for those patients unable to afford eye care so that no patient reminds blind due to lack of funds. The patients receiving free services are given the same quality of surgery in the same facilities as those who can afford to pay.

What is the impact of Unite For Sight volunteers?

With the assistance of volunteers like you, Unite For Sight restored sight to 10,062 patients and provided eye care to 300,000 people in 2006 and 2007. During 2008, Unite For Sight will provide eye care to 200,000 more patients while coordinating and funding an additional 7,000 sight-restoring surgeries. Our volunteers have an enormous and lasting impact on patients and communities.

How does Unite For Sight empower communities to eliminate preventable blindness? Are the programs sustainable?

Unite For Sight and its partner communities and eye clinics create eye disease-free communities and work to achieve the Vision 2020 goals of the World Health Organization and International Agency for Prevention of Blindness. Unite For Sight works with 13 eye clinics worldwide that previously attempted to provide free and low cost eye care services in their community, but were precluded by lack of staffing and funding. Unite For Sight's model is unique among global health and volunteer organizations in that it involves local and visiting volunteers who serve as support staff to eye doctors in the field. Additionally, Unite For Sight provides grants to its partner eye clinics to hire local ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, translators, and coordinators to assist in remote rural village outreach programs.

Assisted by local and visiting volunteers, the eye clinics' optometrists and ophthalmic nurses diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery by local ophthalmologists. Visiting ophthalmologist volunteers participate with the local ophthalmologists, while visiting optometrist volunteers participate with the local optometrists and ophthalmic nurses.

Unite For Sight's programs are sustainable, focus on building local capacity, and create long-term change. All of the eye care programs are led locally in Ghana and India by the eye clinic's ophthalmic staff. The outreach teams (comprised of the local eye clinic's staff and Unite For Sight volunteers) travel daily into remote villages, slums, and refugee camps, to provide on-site eye care. Patients requiring surgery are transported to the eye clinic and then returned to their home village after their operation. Eye care is provided on a monthly basis to all villages that are visited by the outreach team, which is important to eliminate preventable blindness. One month after their operation, the postoperative surgery patients receive evaluation by the outreach team that revisits their village. During that same visit, new patients from the village and surrounding area are evaluated, treated, and selected for surgery. This process continues, thereby providing ongoing eye care to the communities.

Video: Ghanaian ophthalmologist Dr. James Clarke discusses the significance of Unite For Sight's model.

Why Is Eye Care An Emergency Issue? Why Should I Become Involved?

Unite For Sight not only restores vision, but also empowers patients and their families. Blindness in the developing world has a significant effect on families, employment, income, and on the education of children within the family. Social stigma related to blind patients is commonplace in many communities in the developing world. Those who are blind are oftentimes considered to be a burden to the family because they are not able to contribute to a family's income. Additionally, instead of attending school, children within a family are frequently assigned to the role of the caregiver of blind adults.

"Being blind means that your liberty is ceased; you live on Earth, but in a different world not part of Earth. Now, the family can come to me with their problems for me to give advice, but when I was blind, one could never remember that I was important to the family. I want to give my thanks and appreciation to all those who are working with Unite For Sight that made me important again."- Buduburam Refugee Camp Unite For Sight Patient Whose Sight Was Restored

Eye Care Is An Emergency Issue

Ghanaian Ophthalmologist and Medical Advisory Board Member Dr. Seth Wanye explains:

When we talk about healthcare needs in the government sector, it is all about killer diseases. The government's attention is on these diseases that actually cause immediate death. It is assumed that eye diseases do not kill, resulting in resources being channeled to other areas of healthcare. However, I have a different opinion. If you have someone who is blind, then someone else will have to forgo his or her activities in order to take care of this person. Oftentimes, you have a child who is supposed to go to school, but he is instead guiding a blind man around the house and directing him wherever he wants to go. This child could have gone to school, study, and become somebody in the future to help the family.

We often see very young people who are blind, many times younger than the age of 40. They become blind during their productive years; they could have been working and helping to contribute towards building wealth in the country. Instead, the blindness results in a financial loss to the nation because these people are not able to contribute to building the nation. We have therefore been trying to advocate to policy makers so that they understand that even though eye diseases do not kill, they do result in financial losses to the nation. We must see this as an emergency issue. I see eye care as a very important area, and I love to do what I am doing now, to try to help people who I think would benefit from the services that we provide.

In addition to the social consequences of blindness, there are significant mortality rates as well.

Will I be able to work closely with the local community?

Yes! As a volunteer, you will work daily with local ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, and ophthalmologists in the Ghanaian and Indian eye clinics. You will accompany the local ophthalmic staff into the remote rural villages, slums, and refugee camps, to provide eye care for the communities living in extreme poverty. You will have a culturally immersive experience, as described by Unite For Sight volunteer Joshua Ford on a CNN segment: From Small Town To Big Change

Volunteer Application, Participation, Expenses, and Requirements

What are the Unite For Sight volunteer requirements?

Unite For Sight provides an easy-to-use personal volunteer login page so that volunteers can keep track of their pre-departure progress and access all relevant program-specific details and materials, program manuals, phone numbers, important links, as well as email addresses of their fellow volunteers and email addresses of alumni volunteers.

Pre-departure.

  1. Volunteers collect 300-500 eyeglasses for donation to the partner eye clinic in the destination country. Eyeglasses can be shipped directly to the volunteers by postal mail if ordered from an organization such as PRVAIL (U.S.-based volunteers), Lion's Club (Canada-based volunteers), or other similar organizations worldwide. Volunteers pack the collection of eyeglasses into their suitcase when traveling to their program site.
  2. Non-eye care professional volunteers must be trained by an eye doctor in their local community to screen for cataracts, recognize various eye diseases, and learn about eye anatomy and eye health. The training session must include 2-3 days working with an optometrist or ophthalmologist, and volunteers are given a list of skills that they should learn during the training. Volunteers coordinate their training with a local eye doctor, which can be done at either a private eye doctor's office, or at a university department of ophthalmology or optometry. Volunteers also view a Unite For Sight Cultural Competency and Eye Training Video and complete the Unite For Sight Online Eye Health Course. To best prepare each volunteer for their program, they also are required to read journal articles about international volunteerism, community eye health, and view short online videos about their Unite For Sight program site location.
    • Unite For Sight requires volunteers to educate themselves through online materials and training so that they are ready to fully contribute to providing eye care immediately upon arrival in Ghana and India. This enables volunteers to have an immediate impact on the lives of patients in the country where they volunteer. The work of volunteers is vitally important, and the result of their work is profound.
  3. Purchase security and medical assistance insurance through International SOS, confirm health insurance coverage abroad, receive a Passport and VISA, and get vaccinations and a physical exam. Volunteers are required to receive all necessary vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis for travel in accordance with The Travelers' Health Report from the National Center of Infectious Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control
  4. All volunteers raise at least $1400 for Unite For Sight's international eye care programs, except professionals (fully licensed and practicing optometrists and ophthalmologists as well as professional filmmakers and photographers), who fund raise at least $200 for the eye care programs. Fundraising is an essential part of a volunteer's contribution to patients living in extreme poverty in the country where they are volunteering. 100% of the fundraising efforts of Unite For Sight's volunteers provide poor patients with free eye care and sight-restoring surgeries. Each cataract surgery costs $50 on average, so every dollar that you fundraise makes a tremendous impact on the lives of children and adults. Additionally, your fundraising efforts help to create public awareness about global eye care needs. Your pre-departure fundraising therefore allows you to make a huge impact before you even arrive in the developing country.

    Video: Ghana volunteer Jackie Madison discusses the impact of fundraising on her Unite For Sight experience.

    Video: Ophthalmic nurse Kartee Karloweah discusses the importance of collecting eyeglasses, fundraising, and volunteering to eliminate preventable blindness.

    A recent volunteer in Ghana wrote about her fundraising and volunteer experience: "In the surgery room, people were prepped and operated on at amazing efficiency, as the surgery itself took but seven minutes. Seven miraculous minutes was all it took for people to get their sight back. A miracle not only for them, but an eye opener for me, for I had fundraised enough money for 57 of these people to have this chance to regain their sight, a chance they would not have had without the financial support of Unite for Sight. My experience in Ghana was nothing short of amazing. Not only did I get a hands-on experience in the medical field as an undergraduate, but I realized how preventable blindness can be in many developing countries; so preventable that I, a mere college student, could change 57 lives."--Jaci Theis, Bucknell College Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Asikuma Breman, Ghana

    To help with fundraising efforts, Unite For Sight creates a personal donation fundraising page for all of its volunteers. Unite For Sight's volunteers are very successful with their fundraising initiatives, and it requires very little of a volunteer's time since they only need to email their fundraising website link to friends and family. As their friends and family submit donations, Unite For Sight automatically records the donations and sends an email to the volunteer as each donation arrives. All donors also receive a receipt for tax purposes, and the donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by U.S. law. It usually takes no more than one month for a volunteer to reach the $1400 minimum fundraising amount, and some volunteers even reach the fundraising minimum within 1 week. If a volunteer falls short of the fundraising minimum, they may complete their fundraising requirement by submitting the balance from their personal funds. For example, if they are $100 short of the fundraising requirement, they would submit a personal donation of $100 so that they reach the $1400 minimum.

    Click To View Examples of Volunteer Fundraising Pages


    The Key To Successful Fundraising For Unite for Sight

    By Unite For Sight Volunteer Brian Fowler, Medical Student at University of Virginia

    Unite for Sight requires fundraising in the form of eyeglasses and money in order to volunteer abroad. In retrospect, I have realized my fundraising efforts were equally as important to my work in Africa as being in Africa itself. In fact, when I left my two week stint in Africa to return home to Virginia, I realized the money I raised and the glasses I brought with me would be donated and utilized in Africa for at least another month. In essence, my fundraising efforts far outlasted my trip to Africa in regards to time. I cannot express enough the importance of Unite for Sight's fundraising efforts and what they mean to those without access to regular eye care throughout the world. The caring act of connecting people across the world through simple donations should not be underappreciated. One donation that I received was particularly special. A close family friend donated her husband Roger's eyeglasses. Roger had recently passed away from Cancer and she was excited that something of his would help someone halfway across the world. I brought these glasses with me to each village outreach. On my third outreach, one woman told me while crying that she could no longer read the bible. She was truly distraught. She needed the exact prescription of Roger's glasses. After giving her his old reading glasses and realizing she could read, she literally rolled on the floor with laughter and happiness. I was able to take a picture of her in these glasses and send it back to Roger's wife. She printed the picture and keeps it in her office at work. Another man couldn't see because of dense cataracts. Luckily, I saw him after Dr. Clarke surgically removed his cataract. He was truly overjoyed because he could now see with 20/60 vision. The numerous joyful stories I have from my experience in Ghana will be with me forever. Importantly, without Unite for Sight volunteer donations, these stories would not have the same happy ending.

    There are several important steps I followed when I went about fundraising. First, I set a goal for myself so I had something to strive for. Second, I wrote a letter asking friends and families for donations. In this letter, I included Unite for Sight's role in the world, what my function would be as a volunteer, and how important their financial and eyeglass donations are for those who do not have access to eye care. I also outlined in this letter exactly how people could donate to make it as easy as possible for them. Unfortunately, if donating takes a lot of effort on someone's part, they will often not do it. The next and most important step for me was including several people I knew would work hard on fundraising with me. I taught my mom, my wife, and my brother about the efforts of Unite for Sight and how important these donations would be. Then, I gave each of them my letter I'd written and asked them to fundraise with me. First, I asked them to email the fundraising letter to everyone they knew. Second, we made a list of everyone we emailed. We then called every single person who did not respond to the email to request their help. Sometimes this took several phone calls, but in the end most people donated what they could. Next, we began contacting businesses. We started with local optometrists and ophthalmologists. They are often a great source of eyeglasses. We then contacted local restaurants. One restaurant agreed to do a fundraising dinner where 20% of the proceeds went to Unite for Sight. Next we each spoke with our local churches. Sure enough they put out boxes for eyeglass donations and one went as far to take an offering for Unite for Sight.

    In thinking about all of this, these are my key aspects to fundraising:

    1. Be methodical about it.
    2. Expect to have to talk to some people many times.
    3. Expect to hear no's which often can be converted to yes' by explaining to people how even one pair of eyeglasses or $5 can make a difference.
    4. Make the sale- People want to be educated about something first to fully understand the importance of donating. You may feel awkward in doing this sometimes, but the donations raised in the end for people who truly need help far outweighs a temporary feeling.
    5. Use this fundraising project as a means to bring joy to those who are donating in addition to those receiving the donations throughout the world- I created an email grouping of all those who donated and sent them my personal journal and all my pictures from my experience. Many said reading the journal and seeing the pictures of Africa had an impact on the way they view the world.
    6. Last and most important- Involve several friends or family. A committed group can reach far more people than you can by yourself.

What is the minimum and maximum amount of time that I can volunteer?

Volunteers can participate from seven days to multiple months, up to a full year or more. Most of the programs show available dates in 10-day increments. Volunteers can select to participate for 10-days, for example, or they can combine 10-day sessions. If a program has available dates of January 1-10; January 10-20; and January 20-30, a volunteer can select to combine three sessions and participate from January 1-30. Participating for longer periods will not change the pre-departure or participation requirements.

Who is eligible to be a Unite For Sight Volunteer?

Volunteers are 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. Volunteers range from undergraduate/college students to medical and optometry students, public health students and professionals, business students, filmmakers and photographers, nurses and nursing students, social workers, physician's assistants, teachers and educators, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists.

What if I don't have previous health experience?

Unite For Sight welcomes volunteers who may have little or no previous health experience. Volunteers will receive all necessary training from Unite For Sight so that they are able to assist eye doctors with community eye outreach programs. All volunteers, regardless of their previous level of health experience, will have hands-on clinical involvement and help at the level of their individual level of training and comfort. We also welcome volunteers to participate as photographers and filmmakers.

How am I trained?

Those Unite For Sight volunteers who are not eye care professionals begin by completing Unite For Sight's Online Eye Health Course. Then, they are trained by an eye doctor in their local community to learn about common eye diseases. Volunteers are also trained to screen for operable cataracts and other eye diseases at the partner eye clinic in the country destination.

Training also includes required reading and online video viewing. Volunteers view a Unite for Sight Cultural Competency and Eye Training Video, read journal articles about international volunteerism and community eye health, and also view short online videos about their Unite For Sight program location.

I am a medical student/optometry student, and I already completed basic training in eye care. Am I required to complete additional training for Unite For Sight?

Medical students, optometry students, or others with training in eye care do not need to complete the 2-3 day training program with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Instead, they may have their clinical instructor sign the Unite For Sight Eye Training Certificate to confirm that the volunteer has learned the skills required of all Unite For Sight volunteers.

When should I apply? What is the application deadline?

There are no application deadlines. The application process has a rolling deadline, and qualified applicants therefore are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Programs fill quickly, and we therefore suggest that you apply as soon as possible. We often receive applications for programs one year in advance. Our website shows the programs that are currently available and accepting applications, and filled programs are removed from the Program Dates & Locations list as they become unavailable.

How competitive is the application process?

The first qualified applicants are accepted, so we advise applying as soon as you decide that you would like to participate. This will help to insure that you are not closed out of a program of interest. We accept those with quality applications and strong letters of recommendation that indicate that the applicant will be a dedicated and motivated volunteer. Be sure to be thoughtful and honest in your application essay responses. Writing the essays is also a great opportunity to learn more about Unite For Sight and to think about your own interests and ideas about providing quality health care in the developing world.

How do I know which program locations and dates are still available?

Our website shows all of the programs that are currently available and accepting applications, and filled programs are removed from the Program Dates & Locations list as they become unavailable.

My friends and I would like to volunteer together in the Unite For Sight program. Can we apply together, or should we submit separate applications?

Each applicant for a Unite For Sight program is required to submit their own application. Those applying to participate together should indicate identical program dates and locations on their applications, and they can also include on their application the name(s) of the others in their group. Subject to availability and everyone's individual acceptance into the program, you and your friends would be placed together.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Unite For Sight provides an amazing opportunity to make a significant, meaningful, tangible impact in the lives of children and adults worldwide. You will immediately see the joys on people's faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness. You will see children who are thrilled to receive their first pair of eyeglasses, and you will see elderly adults truly grateful for reading glasses so that they can read and sew. These memories will last a lifetime.

You will reduce all of the barriers to health care, including financial, transportation, and education hindrances. All patients with eye disease will be brought to the partner eye clinic for surgery, which is funded by Unite For Sight.

In addition to helping the community, you will also be in a position to witness and draw your own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It will broaden your view of what works, and what role you can have to insure a health system that works for everyone and that leaves no person blind in the future. We believe that anyone can become part of a global solution.

You will also have the opportunity to live in another culture and develop leadership and career skills. Unite For Sight provides certificates to volunteers and also awards dedicated, motivated, skilled volunteers with special awards.

What are the living and lodging costs involved?

Please check the individual programs for the exact living and lodging expenses that you will incur while abroad. Volunteers pay for their own airfare, travel, VISA, immunizations, and living expenses. Unite For Sight does not have a program fee, and no funds for travel, lodging, or living expenses are paid directly to Unite For Sight.

Does Unite For Sight have an administrative "program fee"?

No. Unite For Sight does not have a program fee and does not charge volunteers to participate in the program. Unite For Sight operates in a very cost-effective manner so that the organization does not need to pass along typical administrative and volunteer coordination expenses to its volunteers. After completing the Unite For Sight program, volunteers will have submitted no personal funds to Unite For Sight, unless they choose to personally donate.

What is the cost of airfare?

Airfare varies based on your starting location, destination location, and the time of year. You can determine the flight cost by going to a travel website such as Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity, or by going directly to the websites of airlines. Volunteers participating in Ghana fly into Accra (ACC). Those participating in New Delhi will fly into the New Delhi airport, while those participating in Chennai will fly into the Chennai airport. Volunteers participating in Bihar, Jodhpur, and Orissa, first fly into the New Delhi international airport before taking a connecting flight to a local airport.

How do I fund my travel?

Unite For Sight suggests that students are funded through university fellowships. You can learn about fellowship options by contacting your international fellowship office, advisors, or university departments.

Yale University, Mount Holyoke College, and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have special fully funded fellowships available specifically for Unite For Sight volunteers who are students at Yale, Mount Holyoke, and University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, many medical schools offer funding to their students if they participate in the Unite For Sight program as a clinical rotation/medical elective.

Other options for students and non-students include sponsorship by businesses, organizations, or family members.

What is the cost of the required International SOS medical assistance and security coverage insurance?

The insurance coverage price varies based on the volunteer's length of time abroad. For example, with a student discount and Unite For Sight discount, a 1-month period of insurance coverage costs $100. A 2-week period of insurance for non-students and a Unite For Sight discount is $76. A 3-month period with a student discount and a Unite For Sight discount is $165.

How many other volunteers will be in my program?

The number of volunteers in each program varies based on program location and program dates. The maximum number of volunteers at a particular site for any time period ranges from 2 volunteers to 14 volunteers, and the maximum number of volunteers selected depends on the eye clinic's request and needs. Volunteers have access to the names and email addresses of the other volunteers participating with them at their program location and during their program dates.

Can I see videos of Unite For Sight programs?

Yes! We have many online video presentations, ranging from films produced in Ghana and India to online lecture presentations by Unite For Sight's partner ophthalmologists and eye clinic staff. We also have many online presentations by previous Unite For Sight volunteers. Videos for each program site can be seen within the Program Dates & Locations section.

Those interested in participating in India are especially encouraged to view the film An Eye Opener in India

Those who would like to volunteer in Ghana are urged to view a film about the impact of Unite For Sight's programs in Ghana

All applicants are required to view a 20-minute Question & Answer session by Unite For Sight's Ghanaian and Indian ophthalmologist partners

Can I learn about the Unite For Sight volunteer experience from alumni volunteers?

We have many online videos of alumni volunteers discussing their experiences abroad.

Alumni volunteers also often publish articles and write journals about their international experiences.

We also have hundreds of volunteer quotes and narratives that are organized by program location:

Can I hear about the Unite For Sight programs from the Ghanaian and Indian eye clinic staff?

We have many online videos of our eye clinic partners discussing eye care needs and Unite For Sight volunteers.

What do the medical and university communities say about Unite For Sight volunteer experiences?

What is a typical day like?

Unite For Sight volunteers typically work 8 hours/day for 5-6 days/week. Volunteers relax on days off, and many participate in cultural events and spend a lot of time getting to know the people in the community where they are working.

I'm a filmmaker, photographer, or student of film/photography. What can I do to help?

Unite For Sight filmmaker and photographer volunteers document the voices of patients who receive sight-restoring eye care through Unite For Sight programs. The videos and photos promote awareness and information about global eye care needs and also demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Unite For Sight's local partner eye doctors who work tirelessly to provide eye care to those living in extreme poverty.

Volunteers work with Unite For Sight to develop special film and photo projects for advocacy purposes. The opportunity allows students, filmmakers, and photographers an opportunity to learn about development issues while making a significant impact.

I am not from the US. Am I eligible to participate?

YES! Unite For Sight's volunteers come from countries throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Israel, Singapore, Japan, India, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. We welcome people from any country to apply.

I am planning a Gap Year. Can I participate?

Yes! Unite For Sight welcomes students between high school and college to participate in the Unite For Sight programs for short- or long- term placements. The programs in Chennai (India), Bihar (India), and Accra (Ghana) are especially suitable for Gap Year participants.

Where will I stay?

Unite For Sight's eye clinic partners arrange for the volunteer accommodations in hospital dormitories, guest houses, or local hotels. Two of Unite For Sight's programs involve lodging with a family of physicians from the eye clinic. Please read the program site details to learn about the lodging location for your desired internship. Volunteers are required to lodge in the Program Site accommodations.

Will I have access to a phone while abroad?

Yes. Unite For Sight provides a cell phone to each volunteer. Free minutes are provided to volunteers for use in case of an emergency. Volunteers may also purchase extra minutes if they would like to use the cell phone for personal purposes.

Will I be picked up from the airport?

Yes. Unite For Sight's partner eye clinics and coordinators arrange for each volunteer's pickup from the airport.

Will everyone speak English?

The doctors and Unite for Sight Coordinators will all be fluent in English. In Ghana, the official language is English. In India, the middle and upper class population receive all of their schooling in English. However, those in rural villages with little access to education and health care will usually speak only local languages. If you do not have knowledge of the local language, the doctors, coordinators, or translators will assist you with communication.

As Pradeep Mettu, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India, wrote about his experience: "The language barrier ultimately made the experience even more meaningful. Since communication was always an issue, I learned a great deal about the human touch and the intangibles that create a universal language between the health care provider and the patient."

Will I need a VISA?

Depending on your country of citizenship, you will most likely need a VISA in order to enter Ghana and India. Volunteers from the U.S. and Canada, for example, will need a VISA. Obtaining a VISA involves a basic paper application process to the Ghanaian or Indian Embassy in the volunteer's home country. The VISA is stamped onto the volunteer's Passport by the Ghanaian or Indian Embassy.

Can I communicate with the eye clinic before I begin my program?

Yes! In fact, all accepted volunteers are required to introduce themselves by email to the eye clinic where they will be volunteering. The eye clinic coordinators and ophthalmologists respond to each volunteer's introductory email, and the clinic and volunteer continue to be in contact with each other prior to the volunteer's travel abroad.

In addition to hands-on service and clinical opportunities while abroad, what other educational experiences are afforded to volunteers?

Volunteers begin by completing an Online Eye Health Course and receiving 2-3 days of ophthalmic training by an eye doctor in their home community. They also have extensive and comprehensive pre-departure orientation materials that include readings and online videos about cultural competency, international volunteerism, and international eye care. Volunteers also watch films and videos about their program site location. Prior to their travel abroad, volunteers have therefore already learned extensive knowledge about international eye care and service, and they are well prepared to make a significant impact with the eye clinic abroad.

Upon arriving abroad, volunteers receive orientation from the eye clinic and learn more about eye diseases that are endemic to the program location. They then proceed to work 5-6 days per week with the partner eye clinic to provide eye care for those living in extreme poverty.

I will be applying for medical school while I'm abroad with the Unite For Sight program. Will I have internet access so that I can submit my applications online?

Yes, many volunteers work on their medical school applications during evenings and weekends while participating in the Unite For Sight program. The locations with the best internet access are Chennai, New Delhi, Bihar, and Accra, with Chennai having the best and most reliable internet access on a daily basis. You can access the internet from all other program sites as well (Orissa, Jodhpur, Tamale, and Asikuma Breman), but the internet is simply not as reliable or accessible on a daily basis.

Academic Credit For Students

Can I receive academic credit?

Yes, Unite For Sight will complete necessary paper work so that volunteers can receive academic credit. Be sure to consult your academic institution regarding how you can arrange this type of course credit. Many college students, medical students, and public health students receive academic credit for volunteering with Unite For Sight, and this often also makes the volunteer eligible for university funding to cover travel and lodging expenses abroad.

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as a medical elective/clinical rotation?

Each year, many medical students pursue a Unite For Sight program as a medical elective. We will complete all necessary paperwork required by your medical school.

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as a public health school practicum?

Yes. We often have MPH students pursue the Unite For Sight program in order to fulfill their practicum/field experience requirement. Unite For Sight will complete all necessary paperwork for a volunteer's university.

Can I do research as a Unite For Sight volunteer?

Yes. Medical students and other graduate students are especially encouraged to pursue research projects. Undergraduates also have an opportunity to pursue research. Pursuing a research project requires a student to have a faculty mentor at their home university, and IRB approval is also required. Volunteers interested in pursuing a research project should apply for the programs at AB Eye Institute in Bihar, India, and at Uma Eye Clinic in Chennai, India. In your application to the Unite For Sight program, please discuss your interest in pursuing a research project.

I'm a student at Yale University. What is the Yale UCS/Unite For Sight internship?

Unite For Sight welcomes volunteers from all countries and universities worldwide. Yale Undergraduate Career Services has a special program that works annually to support Yale undergraduate students in their volunteer programs with Unite For Sight. If you are a Yale student and would like to qualify for the UCS Unite For Sight-Yale internship, Yale requires that you volunteer for at least 8 weeks during the summer. The UCS internship may make you eligible for Yale's ISA funding. If you are a Yale student and prefer not to volunteer for 8 weeks, you can apply to be a standard Unite For Sight volunteer for 7 days or more.

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as part of my ophthalmology residency program?

Yes! We have many ophthalmology residents who pursue the Unite For Sight programs in order to gain exposure to providing eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. Ophthalmology residents have an opportunity in Bihar and in Chennai, India, to receive surgical training in SICS and Phaco. They also participate in rural villages near Bihar and Chennai to provide on-site exams, diagnosis, medication, and eyeglasses. Ophthalmology residents may also participate in the Ghana programs, where they would work in the rural villages to provide eye care. Surgical training programs are not provided at Unite For Sight's Ghana eye clinic partners, and residents would therefore only be able to perform surgery on patients through the established training programs in Bihar, India, or in Chennai, India.

More Information

Where can I learn about the magnitude of eye care needs in developing countries?

Unite For Sight compiled statistics about eye care needs, which you can see at http://uniteforsight.org/eye_stats.php By participating in Unite For Sight's programs, you will be able to see the reality of these numbers.

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

Send an email to Jennifer Staple at JStaple@uniteforsight.org